Automated techniques in serum lipid analysis

Abstract

Semi‐ and partially‐automated procedures for the analysis of serum lipids directly on the initial solvent extract which have been developed recently by the author and other investigators are reviewed. Techniques are discussed which involve either colorimetric or fluorimetric estimation of the concentration of the individual lipid components of serum such as total cholesterol, acyl esters, phospholipids, triglycerides and free fatty acids. The results obtained with the automated methods are presented and evaluated by comparison to established manual methods now routinely used in clinical laboratories, and the advantage as well as the limitations of the automated procedures are indicated.